2017 Inductee Gallery

About

Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame

The Mission of the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame is to preserve the history of
Aquatics in Georgia and to celebrate Georgians who have excelled in Aquatic sports.

Several years ago a broad spectrum of individuals recognized that there was no organization available to promote or celebrate aquatic excellence in the state of Georgia. With no funding the group began to work toward establishing the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame.

The first few years were spent in trying to find a physical location to call “The Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame”. No place meet the committee’s criterion, so it was decided that the best place for the Hall was on the internet-a location with free access for the general public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame, Inc. was incorporated in May 2010. The Hall’s primary purpose is to recognize and honor past contributions or achievements. The Hall’s board of directors will work towards educating the public about the performance of athletes and the tireless efforts of their coaches. However, we will not limit induction into the Hall solely to athletes and coaches. Individuals or groups will be considered for induction into the Hall under the category of “lifetime achievements”.

Georgia is the first state to establish their Hall of Fame on the internet. It is anticipated many states will follow our lead. Part of our mission will be to share the knowledge we have gleaned from three years of toil-including our missteps along the way. Our mission is and always will be to promote aquatic excellence.

Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame

The mission of the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame is to preserve the history of
aquatics in Georgia and to celebrate Georgians who have excelled in aquatic sports.

Several years ago, a broad spectrum of individuals recognized that there was no organization available to promote or celebrate aquatic excellence in the State of Georgia. With no funding, the group began to work toward establishing the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame.

The first few years were spent trying to find a physical location to call “The Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame”. No place met the committee’s criterion, so it was decided that the best place for the Hall was on the internet – a location with free access for the general public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame, Inc. was incorporated in May 2010. The Hall’s primary purpose is to recognize and honor past contributions or achievements in aquatics. The Hall’s board of directors works toward educating the public about the performance of athletes and the tireless efforts of their coaches. However, the board does not limit induction into the Hall solely to athletes and coaches. Individuals or groups will be considered for induction into the Hall under the category of “lifetime achievements”.

Swimming

Competitive swimming involves the four strokes of freestyle, backstroke, breastroke, and butterfly. Competitors may compete in individual or relay events ranging from 50 yards to 1600 meters.

Diving

Competitive diving involves jumping into water from a platform or springboard, while performing acrobatics. Diving may be done individually, or as a pair. Diving scores are based off of difficulty and the individual scores provided by multiple judges.

Water Polo

Water polo is a seven on seven sport where players are constantly swimming and trying to score points by getting the ball into a net. Players are not allowed to touch the bottom and use a ball similar to a volleyball. This sport is seen as a combination of football and soccer.

Synchro-nized Swimming

Synchronized swimming is a combination of swimming, gymnastics, and dance techniques into a synchronized routine in the water accompanied by music. Synchronized swimming routines may be performed as a solo, duet, or team and are scored by a panel of judges.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Francine S. Williamson

Francine Williamson is Georgia’s most decorated female Masters swimmer. During her career, she has held 50 first place national rankings ranging from 50-meters to 2 miles. Additionally, Francine has been ranked the top female swimmer in the following age groups: 45-49, …

Lane Bassham Winchester

Lane Bassham Winchester was a diver from Moultrie’s Moss Farms. She was a member of the USA National Diving Team from 1997-2004. During her career at the University of Alabama, Lane won three SEC Diving Championships, one NCAA Championship, and …

Glynn Perry

Glynn Perry began his swimming career at a very young age. He set Georgia state records in every age group from 8 and under to senior boys. Glynn was the USA Junior National Champion in both the 400 Individual Medley …

Jason Turcotte

Jason Turcotte was the Head Coach of Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta. Jason swam competitively; however, he preferred to coach swimmers rather than compete. During his career, Jason coached at Stanford University, the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, and the Naperville …

William Q. Artley

William Artley was a founding member of the Savannah Swim Team. Will was Georgia’s High School Swimmer of the Year in 1969. In 1972, Will was a finalist in the USA Olympic Trials. While attending the University of Florida, Will …

Fred R. Lanoue

Frederick “Fred” R. Lanoue was the Head Swimming Coach at Georgia Tech for 27 years. Prior to coaching, Lanoue attended Springfield College in Massachusetts where he was a diver. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1932 and his master’s degree …

Sabir Muhammad

Sabir Muhammad was the first African-American to medal in swimming at an international competition and is one of the most decorated African-American swimmers. At the 2000 Short Course World Championships in Athens, Greece, Sabir won silver and bronze in the …

Elizabeth Hill Newman

Elizabeth Hill Newman is an Atlanta-native who swam for Dynamo Swim Club and later the University of Georgia, in the mid-2000s. Newman earned a gold medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games in the 400 freestyle while still in high school, …

Paige Wilson Penze

Paige Wilson Penze is an Athens, GA native who grew up swimming for Athens Bulldog Swim Club before going on to swim for the University of Georgia in the early 1990’s. At the age of 17, Penze became the first …

Dan Laak

Dan Laak has been the Head Diving Coach at the University of Georgia for over 30 years. As a student, Laak was a diver at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse where he earned multiple All-American and All-American Honorable Mentions. …

Robert “Moose” Moss

Robert “Moose” Moss was a renowned diving coach from Colquitt County, Georgia. As a collegiate football player for Georgia Southern University, decorated World War II combat pilot, and farmer, Moss was never a diver but came to admire the sport …

Robert “Pete” Higgins

Robert “Pete” Higgins has been coaching swimming at Westminster High School since 1960. Higgins was inducted into the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2016. He has also been selected as the National High School …

Steve Lundquist

Steve Lundquist is a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay and the first man to break two minutes in the 200y breaststroke. A Georgia native, Lundquist graduated from Jonesboro High School where he went …

Sheila Taormina

Sheila Taormina is first female athlete to qualify for the Olympics in three different sports: swimming, triathlon, and modern pentathlon. Taormina grew up swimming and represented the University of Georgia, captaining the team in 1991. It wasn’t until after Taormina …

Doug Gjertsen

Doug Gjertsen is a two-time Olympian who swam for SwimAtlanta and the University of Texas Longhorns. Gjertsen began swimming in Georgia in 1976 and was one of the first families to join Swim Atlanta in 1977, the year of its …

Jennifer (Chandler) Stevenson

Jennifer (Chandler) Stevenson was the 3-meter springboard diving gold medalist at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal at the age of 17. An Alabama native, Chandler began swimming with the Mountain Brook Swim Club coached by Carlos de Cubas. At …

Mary Ellen (Blanchard) Warta

Mary Ellen (Blanchard) Warta was an American and U.S. Open Record holder who swam for Norcross High School, Dynamo Swim Club, and Stanford. As a sophomore in high school, Blanchard broke the American and U.S. Open Record in the 200y …

Jack Bauerle

Jack Bauerle is the head coach of the University of Georgia Men’s and Women’s Swimming Team. Bauerle’s connection with UGA first began as a student-athlete in 1971. After assistant coaching for a few years, he became the head coach of …

Herb McAuley

James Herbert “Herb” McAuley coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for 40 years, first as an assistant coach to Fred Lanoue, then as head coach. McAuley first swam for Georgia Tech as a student-athlete in 1942 while taking a short …

Billy Ray Schmidt

Curtis Lovejoy

Curtis Lovejoy is a multi-sport Paralympian (swimming and fencing) who has participated in five Paralympic Games from 1996-2012. Lovejoy began swimming at age 29 after a car accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. After just a year and …

David Larson

David Larson is a 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Originally from Jesup, Georgia, Larson swam for Bolles in Jacksonville, Florida until 1977. He went on to swim for the University of Florida where he earned two …

Kristy Kowal

Kristy Kowal represented Team USA in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia where she earned a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke. As a breaststroke specialist, Kowal was also the first American woman to break one minute in the …

Courtney (Shealy) Hart

Courtney (Shealy) Hart is currently the head coach of the Georgia Tech Men’s and Women’s Swimming Team. Hart is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist who represented Team USA at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She medaled in the …

Billy Heinz

Billy Heinz is a former diver who competed for Westminster Schools and Princeton. The height of Heinz’s diving career was while he attended Princeton. In 1973, Heinz was one of only three divers in the country to place in the …

Chris Davis

Chris Davis is the founder, owner and head coach of SwimAtlanta. Prior to coaching, Davis swam for the Decatur DeKalb YMCA and competed collegiately for Birmingham Southern University. Davis founded SwimAtlanta in 1977. SwimAtlanta has since become one of the …

Eric Wunderlich

Eric Wunderlich is an Olympian who grew up swimming for Riverwood High School, and briefly, Dynamo Swim Club. Wunderlich went on to swim for the University of Michigan where was the the NCAA Champion in the 200y breaststroke in 1993. …

Maritza “Ritz” (Correia) McClendon

Maritza “Ritz” Correia McClendon is a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the 4x100m freestyle relay. She was the first woman of color to make an Olympic swimming team for the United States and medal. Ritz swam for the University of …

Angel (Myers) Martino

Angel (Myers) Martino is a two-time Olympian who grew up swimming in Americus, Georgia. She swam for Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Martino participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, of which she was …

Hal Stolz

Hal Stolz won multiple SEC Championship titles for the University of Georgia from 1953-1956. Stolz was the SEC men’s champion in the 3x100y medley relay, which is no longer an SEC event. In 1955 and 1956, Stolz won SEC titles …

Kathleen Hersey

Kathleen Hersey is a two-time Olympian who attended Marist High School and swam for SwimAtlanta. While at Marist, Kathleen broke the National High School Record in both the 100y butterfly and the 200y individual medley. Kathleen continued winning titles at …

Carlos Enrique DeCubas

Carlos Enrique DeCubas began his career as the Olympic swimming and diving coach in Cuba. Desiring to leave Cuba after Castro gained control, DeCubas escaped with his family to the United States. Although his initial job in America was a …

Carlton Bruner

Carlton Bruner is an Olympian who grew up swimming with Dynamo Swim Club. From 1991-1994, Bruner swam for the University of Florida. While a collegiate swimmer, Bruner won two SEC championship titles in distance freestyle events. He was a five-time …

Donna (Humphrey) Quinn

Donna (Humphrey) Quinn was an outstanding high school swimmer for Westminster during the 1960’s. A backstroke specialist, Quinn participated in the Senior National Championships and the 1968 Olympic Trials. Quinn was coached by fellow Georgia Aquatic Hall of Famer, Pete …

Kara Lynn Joyce

Kara Lynn Joyce is a three-time Olympian who swam for the University of Georgia. In high school, Joyce broke five National High School Records in freestyle events. Joyce began swimming for UGA in 2004. While with the Bulldogs, Joyce was …

Jemique Lauryn (McCalley) Niday

Jemique Lauryn (McCalley) Niday began her diving career in Moultrie, Georgia. She was a member of the Moss Farms Diving where she won nine Junior Championships and three National Synchronized Diving Championships. Niday later attended the University of Tennessee and …

Hans Dersch

Hans Dersch is a 1992 Olympic gold medalist who grew up swimming for SwimAtlanta. Dersch attended the University of Texas and was a member of three Longhorn NCAA National Championship teams. He finished second in both the 100y and 200y …

Veronica (Stroup) Holz

Veronica (Stroup) Holz began her swimming career in Pennsylvania before attending the University of Georgia. The women’s swimming program at UGA was established in 1974 when a group of women, Holz included, pioneered the efforts to establish the team. Holz …

Kyle Miller

Kyle Miller is from Jesup, Georgia and attended the University of Florida. While at Florida, Miller was a team captain and earned 43 national medals during his collegiate swimming career. He represented the United States on the National Team and …

Logan “Reid” Patterson

Logan “Reid” Patterson from Pineville, KY was the first the University of Georgia’s first national champion and Olympian in swimming. Patterson was an eight-time SEC champion and six-time SEC record holder. He swam for the University of Georgia from 1951 …